In order to help you find the best nonstick pan for your kitchen, we tested out dozens of products, looking for pans that, if taken care of correctly, could last you decades. During our testing, we ruled out pans that contain Polytetrafluoroethylene (PFOA), otherwise known as Teflon, and other potentially unsafe chemicals, favoring newer products that meet regulations for being free of toxins. We also wanted to make sure the pans we tested were true to their name, using them to cook a large variety of items to see if they would remain nonstick. Finally, we looked for pans that offered versatility in the kitchen, ones that were just as comfortable on the stovetop as they were in the oven. To find other kitchen cooking items, explore our best cookware guide.
Of the five best nonstick pans on this list, the aptly named Radical Pan really sizzled the loudest, with an innovative high-rise lip design that takes the guesswork out of souffleing and flipping dishes, making it the best overall nonstick fry pan. The Radical Pan also comes with a lifetime guarantee and can be placed in an ultra-hot oven, up to 500 degrees, making it safe for broiling. Keep reading to find out more about the Radical Pan and the four other nonstick cookware products on this list.
Top 5 Best Nonstick Pan Compared
#1 Radical Pan
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Radical Pan is, well, one radical pan, with a super neat high-rise lip design, intended to make flipping easier, featuring a triple-layer nonstick coating and a hard-anodized aluminum bottom, making for consistent temperature disbursement. This is not only the best pan on this list but, considering the design, also the most unique.
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- Lifetime guarantee
- High-rise lip makes flipping easy
- Can be placed in oven and under the broiler
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- Price on the high side
- Weighs 3 pounds so not the lightest pan
- Difficult to find a lid that fits the patented design
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The Radical Pan is, first and foremost, one heck of a nonstick frying pan. The aluminum base maintains the same heat throughout the cooking area and the triple-layer coating ensures that foods will not stick, no matter how hard you try. On top of all that, it is rated for temperatures up to 500 degrees, meaning you can easily slip it under the broiler for finishing steaks or getting some extra color onto baked dishes. The unique high-rise lip design was just icing on the cake, allowing us to flip pancakes and eggs with ease.
The price is on the higher side, compared to some products on this list, but this is a high-quality pan that will last for years to come. On that note, the company throws in a lifetime guarantee, so you can be sure it will continue to be a mainstay of your kitchen. Read our Radical Pan review to learn more.
#2 T-fal 2100086427 E93805 Professional Fry Pan
Award: Honorable Mention / Best Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: The T-fal 2100086427 E93805 Professional Fry Pan is a fantastic product that suits the needs of most home chefs, featuring a stainless steel base that is ideal for all stovetops and a patented Thermo Spot indicator which shows when the pan is preheated and ready for ingredients. This is just a great all-around pan at an extremely low price point.
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- Thermo Spot indicator is extremely useful
- Safe for metal utensils
- Can be used on magnetic induction stovetops
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- Oven safe, but only up to 400 degrees
- Warranty information is confusing
- Not entirely flat, foods may move around
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The T-fal 2100086427 E93805 Professional Fry Pan is a nearly perfect, and simple, product. The stainless steel base ensures even heat distribution and the nonstick interior is scratch-resistant, meaning it is rated for use with metal utensils. The patented Thermo Spot indicator does a good job of letting you know when the pan is preheated, taking the guesswork out of the equation. It can also be used on just about every stovetop in existence, including ones that use magnetic induction to heat. T-fal is known for being the best stainless steel cookware.
The pan can be used in the oven, but has a maximum temperature load of 400 degrees (100 F less than our #1 pick), meaning it is not safe for the broiler. Although T-fal, says you can use metal utensils on its nonstick skillets, the warranty states that damage by the same isn’t covered. We also noticed that the pan isn’t entirely flat, with some minor bumps on the nonstick surface that may cause foods, particularly eggs, to slide around. Speaking of the cooking surface, another 10-inch pan that was similar to this is the Tramontina Professional Nonstick Fry Pan, which has a thick aluminum nonstick surface but is not so easy to clean and needlessly pricier than T-fal frying pans. If you require a pan with compartments to cook different food varieties at the same time, check out our best-divided frying pan guide.
#3 Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan is an ultra-durable product made with high-quality materials, including heavy-gauge aluminum, with three layers of nonstick coating and sloped sides, which are ideal for tossing and rolling ingredients. The company also throws in a lifetime warranty, making this a fantastic pan to whip up gourmet dishes on.
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- Handles stay cool, even with high temperatures
- Full lifetime warranty
- Sloped sides are great for tossing and rolling
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- The heavy-gauge bottom is sturdy but takes a while to preheat
- Cannot be used with metal utensils
- Not for use on an induction stovetop
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The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan features three layers of nonstick coating, which really helps to ensure that your ingredients will never stick, even with very little oil or butter. The stainless steel handle is designed to minimize heat, with a thick gap that separates it from the rest of the pan, meaning you can use a bare hand to grab it even in the middle of cooking. The sloped sides are also a nice design choice, helping us to reduce splatter as we used it to prepare several dishes. A good pan like this will do anything that the best slow cooker can do.
While the heavy-gauge bottom helps with even heat distribution, we found that the pan took longer than other items on this list to preheat, though it seemed like an even tradeoff, considering the product’s high durability.
#4 T-fal E76507 Ultimate Nonstick Frying Pan
Award: Best Value
WHY WE LIKE IT: The T-fal E76507 Ultimate Frying Pan offers high-end features, like a titanium-reinforced interior and hard anodized aluminum base, at a fairly low price point. The package also comes with an extremely useful vented lid, easily making this product the best value on the list.
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- Package comes with vented lid
- Thermo Spot indicator is fantastic for new chefs
- 12” size offers a lot of real estate
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- Heaviest pan on this list, nearly 5 pounds
- Recommended to not be used with high heat
- Oven safe, but only up to 350 degrees
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The T-fal E76507 Ultimate Frying Pan is one heck of a product, with a titanium-reinforced nonstick interior that can easily be manipulated using metal utensils. The hard-anodized aluminum base ensures even heat distribution and the 12-inch design boasts plenty of real estate for cooking large dishes. The package also comes shipped with a high-quality vented lid, further increasing its value.
The pan is recommended only for medium and low heat settings, as the aluminum base conducts heat quickly, though we experienced a little issue when we turned the burner up to high. It is safe for ovens, though not for temperatures exceeding 350 degrees, which means it will be a no-go for many recipes. You may also want to read about hard anodized cookware vs stainless steel to learn more.
#5 Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8” Omelette Pan
Award: Best for Breakfast
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8” Omelette Pan features three layers of nonstick coating, a hard-anodized aluminum base that ensures even heat distribution, and a stainless steel handle design that minimizes injury, staying cool while on the stovetop. Its small size makes it perfect for whipping up breakfast favorites.
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- Comes with oven-safe lid
- Handle stays cool while on stovetop
- Lifetime warranty
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- Not ideal for larger dishes
- Oven safe, but not for broiler
- Not for use on induction stovetop
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The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8” Omelette Pan is a masterwork of contemporary kitchenware design, with three layers of the nonstick coating and the same hard-anodized aluminum base that is so beloved with the company’s other offerings. The handle is stainless steel and designed to stay cool on the stovetop, no matter the temperature. It also comes with a lifetime warranty and is packed with an oven-safe lid.
The pan is oven-safe, but only up to 450 degrees, so keep it away from the broiler. While the product’s eight-inch size is absolutely perfect for cooking breakfast, its relatively small stature may not make it ideal for preparing large family meals. To complete your kitchen, check out this list of some of the best cookware.
How We Decided
There are almost as many nonstick pans out there as there are recipes to cook in them and we wanted to make sure this list contained only the best-of-the-best. To that end, we tested these products to make sure they delivered on their promise of reliable everyday performance, running them through their paces to make sure they could cook a large variety of ingredients with minimal oil or butter. We were also hyper-focused on barring any pans that used unsafe chemicals to create the nonstick coating, a threshold that every product on the above list passed with flying colors.
We also favored products with additional features, like indicators to let you know when the pan was thoroughly preheated and those that came attached to handles that would remain cool to the touch while resting on a hot stovetop. Additionally, every pan on the above list can be placed in the oven, with some allowed to be used underneath the broiler.
Finally, we went for ultra-durable pans that could take a licking, lasting you for years to come. Speaking of durability, we noticed that nonstick properties on ceramic nonstick fry pans do not last long, which means you have to replace them often. On that note, many of the above products come with lifetime warranties, just in case you run into some trouble down the line.
Stay with Gadget Review for the Best Cookware Set in 2020.
Nonstick Pan Buying Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Unsafe Chemicals
Gone are the days of Teflon-coated nonstick pans. Modern products, including every pan on the above list, use a variety of safer materials to achieve their nonstick coatings. Still, some companies still produce products that use the dreaded Polytetrafluoroethylene as a coating, so make sure that the pan is certified to be toxin-free. Also, when cooking, do not use nonstick cooking spray on your frying pans, because it will build up and eventually mess up the nonstick properties of the pan. - Check Your Burners
Though most nonstick pans can work with most burner types, induction stoves can sometimes pose a problem. This is because the magnets used in such stove tops can have trouble attaching to the pan, making it difficult to heat up. Many companies get around this restriction by being sure to include ferrous metal in the base of the pan, a feature contained in many, though not all, of the above products. - Oven Temperatures
While modern nonstick pans are generally safe to stick in the oven, make sure you don’t turn up the temperature too high. If you are looking for a pan that can be stuck underneath the broiler, for instance, make sure you pick one with a maximum temperature threshold of 500 degrees, like the Radical Pan. If you are looking to do some light baking, any of the above products will work nicely, as they all feature a maximum temperature of at least 350 degrees. In short, read the instructions and cook accordingly.
